Emre looks at the two patrons and the Innkeeper's wife in turn, waiting blithely in the awkward silence following her question.
Finally, she tries a follow-up. "...the reason I ask is that there seem to be some pretty shady dealings there. People are trading their kids for these pastries. And I'm certain the old woman is more than just a peddler."
The innkeeper's wife answers, "The woman's name is Morgantha. She lives at an old windmill south of town with her two daughters. The windmill is called "Old Bonegrinde.r"
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Emre looks at the two patrons and the Innkeeper's wife in turn, waiting blithely in the awkward silence following her question.
Finally, she tries a follow-up. "...the reason I ask is that there seem to be some pretty shady dealings there. People are trading their kids for these pastries. And I'm certain the old woman is more than just a peddler."
The innkeeper's wife answers, "The woman's name is Morgantha. She lives at an old windmill south of town with her two daughters. The windmill is called "Old Bonegrinde.r"
"That's very helpful," says Emre rather impatiently. "Can you tell me anything else about Morgantha? Do you know anything about the pastries she's selling?"
Valanthe finally pipes up from a reverie, "If the Old Bonegrinder is out of town, perhaps we should take care of any outstanding business here before trekking out."
"That's very helpful," says Emre rather impatiently. "Can you tell me anything else about Morgantha? Do you know anything about the pastries she's selling?"
"Her pastries supposedly give the consumer dreams of their greatest desires. She sells them for one gold piece each, but if parents don't have enough money, she accepts children instead. What she does with them is unknown. But they are never seen again. Morgantha's daughters always stay at the windmill. Morgantha and her daughters are witches who practice the Black Arts at their windmill."
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
"There is nothing we can do about it. The burgomaster denies the fact that Morgantha is a problem and no one is brave enough to stand up to her."
Suddenly, the door to the tavern flies open and a large, hulking man with a bald head steps inside. Slamming the door behind him, he strides up to the bar. He wears a wolfskin cloak and carries a massive greataxe. His left arm is that of a normal man. Yet his right arm... is a monstrous deformity. It is blood red in color, and the flesh is riveted with reptilian, bony plates. At the tips of his fingers, in the place of fingernails, are lethally sharp black claws.
"Get me a mug of your Red Dragon Crush!" he demands. Urwin's wife turns pale, then hurriedly moves to the kitchen, returning with a mug of wine.
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Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Valanthe leans into Erme's ears, "You always did have a thing for the bad ones, didn't you?"
"Well, we can go investigate this Morgantha when we leave town, but I feel as if we were supposed to do something while we were here...." Valanthe ponders to her compatriots.
Valanthe leans into Erme's ears, "You always did have a thing for the bad ones, didn't you?"
"Well, we can go investigate this Morgantha when we leave town, but I feel as if we were supposed to do something while we were here...." Valanthe ponders to her compatriots.
Emre turns to Valanthe, her face looking scandalized. "I do NOT!" she hisses.
Then in a more normal voice, "Okay, yes, you're right, I think we should see if we can drum up some support against Morgantha. If the burgomaster isn't willing to do anything about it, then we can take it to the people themselves. There have to be some here willing to stand up for their own town."
Byllemura, with a sad tone to her voice, turns to Emre: "While I do appreciate your enthusiasm, I have a bad feeling about this. If there truly were people willing to do something about this whole surrender our own children to an old lady thing, they would have already done so. Still worth looking though."
"The time for talking is over. Nobody is asking for us to help because nobody here thinks they CAN be helped. What they need is a demonstration! We need to show them that their problems Can be solved and that they are WORTH solving. Only then will they offer their support."
"More to the point Thpas, the time for talking hasn't yet presented itself. It can hardly be 'over' when it never began!" Emre says with her wry smile. "We get the people of Vallaki behind us on this, and our success will get us places and turn some ears—maybe even open some doors."
"Emre..." Thpas retorts with a solemn plead. "They're taking the children..." he lets this point make itself by letting it sink in for a moment. "these people are only too happy to offer them up. They aren't going to want this terror to end. They will turn their blind eyes as long as there is something to avoid, just as they have for all the years since this began. When we remove this problem, we remove their blinders. We cannot give them hope with empty words. We must show strength and action in order to invigorate their thirst for a better quality of life."
"You paint with too broad a brush, Thpas. If everyone here is sacrificing their children, then they aren't worth saving, and would likely resent us anyway for taking away their happy snacks. And I'm not trying to give them better quality of life—that's their responsibility to take, not ours to give it to them."
"Well, that's not quite what I meant - we were supposed to go see the toy man and that rascal Rictavio, and I'm pretty sure that our card reading...." at this point Valanthe huddles closer to Erme and Byllemura and continues in a whisper, "Madam Eva said 'Search for a troubled boy surrounded by wealth and madness. His home is his prison...' and it seems that we may have that here with the local Burgomaster."
// Sorry - started writing this like 2 hours ago.... and noticed that it was still pending so I just clicked to publish it... LOL //
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
"Sooo... Should we pay a visit to this Morgantha and her daughters then?"
PbP: Curse of Strahd: In the Shadow of Ravenloft - Byllemura Ziasebek, Tiefling Sorceress (4)
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
Valanthe finally pipes up from a reverie, "If the Old Bonegrinder is out of town, perhaps we should take care of any outstanding business here before trekking out."
Storm King's Thunder - Ink, Elven Bladesinging Wizard
Core City: APbPA - Ormond, Human Twilight Cleric
The Inferno - BG:Dia - DM
They keep me rollin'
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
And...everyone is just 'okay' with this?" Emre sounds like she was just told that, here, when people add 2 and 2, they get 307.
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
"There is nothing we can do about it. The burgomaster denies the fact that Morgantha is a problem and no one is brave enough to stand up to her."
Suddenly, the door to the tavern flies open and a large, hulking man with a bald head steps inside. Slamming the door behind him, he strides up to the bar. He wears a wolfskin cloak and carries a massive greataxe. His left arm is that of a normal man. Yet his right arm... is a monstrous deformity. It is blood red in color, and the flesh is riveted with reptilian, bony plates. At the tips of his fingers, in the place of fingernails, are lethally sharp black claws.
"Get me a mug of your Red Dragon Crush!" he demands. Urwin's wife turns pale, then hurriedly moves to the kitchen, returning with a mug of wine.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
"Hello there, handsome," Emre nods appreciatively.
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
The man grunts and chugs down his wine.
Devious serpent folk devoid of compassion, yuan-ti manipulate other creatures by arousing their doubts, evoking their fears, and elevating and crushing their hopes. From remote temples in jungles, swamps, and deserts, the yuan-ti plot to supplant and dominate all other races and to make themselves gods.
Emre is visibly impressed with his chugging skills.
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
Valanthe leans into Erme's ears, "You always did have a thing for the bad ones, didn't you?"
"Well, we can go investigate this Morgantha when we leave town, but I feel as if we were supposed to do something while we were here...." Valanthe ponders to her compatriots.
Storm King's Thunder - Ink, Elven Bladesinging Wizard
Core City: APbPA - Ormond, Human Twilight Cleric
The Inferno - BG:Dia - DM
They keep me rollin'
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
Byllemura, with a sad tone to her voice, turns to Emre: "While I do appreciate your enthusiasm, I have a bad feeling about this. If there truly were people willing to do something about this whole surrender our own children to an old lady thing, they would have already done so. Still worth looking though."
PbP: Curse of Strahd: In the Shadow of Ravenloft - Byllemura Ziasebek, Tiefling Sorceress (4)
"They just need strong leadership," Emre says adamantly. "I'm sure of it."
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
"I really hope you're right." Byllemura nods.
PbP: Curse of Strahd: In the Shadow of Ravenloft - Byllemura Ziasebek, Tiefling Sorceress (4)
"The time for talking is over. Nobody is asking for us to help because nobody here thinks they CAN be helped. What they need is a demonstration! We need to show them that their problems Can be solved and that they are WORTH solving. Only then will they offer their support."
"More to the point Thpas, the time for talking hasn't yet presented itself. It can hardly be 'over' when it never began!" Emre says with her wry smile. "We get the people of Vallaki behind us on this, and our success will get us places and turn some ears—maybe even open some doors."
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
"Emre..." Thpas retorts with a solemn plead. "They're taking the children..." he lets this point make itself by letting it sink in for a moment. "these people are only too happy to offer them up. They aren't going to want this terror to end. They will turn their blind eyes as long as there is something to avoid, just as they have for all the years since this began. When we remove this problem, we remove their blinders. We cannot give them hope with empty words. We must show strength and action in order to invigorate their thirst for a better quality of life."
"You paint with too broad a brush, Thpas. If everyone here is sacrificing their children, then they aren't worth saving, and would likely resent us anyway for taking away their happy snacks. And I'm not trying to give them better quality of life—that's their responsibility to take, not ours to give it to them."
DM - Storm King's Thunder PbP | Yet Another Storm King's Thunder PbP
Current: Eogard Duramastar, Human Twilight Cleric/Star Druid | Eiren Lathrana, Shadar-Kai Eldritch Knight/Bladesinger | Arugula, Rabbitfolk Armorer
Survivor: CrispyDM's Saltmarsh as Syltra | SarcasticFury's Strahd as Hadrian Frozenspark | Forge of Fury as The DM
"Well, that's not quite what I meant - we were supposed to go see the toy man and that rascal Rictavio, and I'm pretty sure that our card reading...." at this point Valanthe huddles closer to Erme and Byllemura and continues in a whisper, "Madam Eva said 'Search for a troubled boy surrounded by wealth and madness. His home is his prison...' and it seems that we may have that here with the local Burgomaster."
// Sorry - started writing this like 2 hours ago.... and noticed that it was still pending so I just clicked to publish it... LOL //
Storm King's Thunder - Ink, Elven Bladesinging Wizard
Core City: APbPA - Ormond, Human Twilight Cleric
The Inferno - BG:Dia - DM
They keep me rollin'